Safin's retirement racket...

Well I've seen two Safin exhibition matches now on the senior tour, one with Sampras in China and looks like he used his prestige classic without PJ, and on the other in Malaysia with Agassi and other two players for a doubles match, looks like he is using the newer TGK 237.3, what's intriguing me, is the fact his strings look black, is he using now HEAD's sonic pro and finally left BB original after retirement?
Does anybody know anything about this?

I still can't believe Safin is retired and playing seniors and exos. Fool can toy with the top 10 if he wants to.

Click to expand...

I think that too, but I think he never took tennis too seriously, he once said that he was about to retire just before he won his 1st slam, the US Open, he had 18 and he was about to retire, I think he likes to party, have a good time and enjoy life, which is completely valid, he had a great career, but yes, he could have won a lot more if he had focused and believed in himself,

My favorite player ever. Pure talent. Pure emotion. Never did anything becasue he was obliged to.

I remember I walked by him after he lost at LeggMason one year. Said, 'Hey,Marat'... He looked at me like I hit on his girlfriend and turned around. Lundgren was chain smoking and Marat refused an autograph for a 10yo with an oversized ball.

A 'normal' person would've scourned him for his behaviour. I felt like I just walked by Dirty Harry and loved that experience, pure honesty. After a loss, most pros are accomodating to a certain extent. Marat wore his emotions on his sleeve and when he was 'on'.. he was the absolute best.

I think that too, but I think he never took tennis too seriously, he once said that he was about to retire just before he won his 1st slam, the US Open, he had 18 and he was about to retire, I think he likes to party, have a good time and enjoy life, which is completely valid, he had a great career, but yes, he could have won a lot more if he had focused and believed in himself,

Click to expand...

It's not that he really wanted to retire, he just had a period where he was really struggling and began to question himself. Everyone has gone through stages in their life where they have felt exactly the same way

It's not that he really wanted to retire, he just had a period where he was really struggling and began to question himself. Everyone has gone through stages in their life where they have felt exactly the same way

Click to expand...

From after his 2005 Aus Open win (which was the last tournament he won)until he retired in 2009 he struggled. Those were some 4 long painful years for him.

From after his 2005 Aus Open win (which was the last tournament he won)until he retired in 2009 he struggled. Those were some 4 long painful years for him.

Click to expand...

That's true as always VS, but I still think he wasn't too focused or determined after that, also injuries were present since those days, I'll take Hewwitt's case for an example, he also won 2 slams, and it's been really long since he has won anything, but still, he tries his best every match, trains hard and gives his best everytime, I remember Safin throwing matches to the trash can from a critical point he missed and that little point then turned into sets and matches, but still for me, greatest underachiever, such a shame time doesn't forgive or allow to remain on the top always...

That's true as always VS, but I still think he wasn't too focused or determined after that, also injuries were present since those days, I'll take Hewwitt's case for an example, he also won 2 slams, and it's been really long since he has won anything, but still, he tries his best every match, trains hard and gives his best everytime, I remember Safin throwing matches to the trash can from a critical point he missed and that little point then turned into sets and matches, but still for me, greatest underachiever, such a shame time doesn't forgive or allow to remain on the top always...

No worries. I liked Safin too. He was very interesting to watch. But the reality is 2007, 2008, and 2009 were horrible years with the exception that somehow he put it together a good run at the 2008 Wimbledon. Other than that it was a poor performance for the most part. That is why he is not playing anymore. 2009 was exceptionally painful to watch especially his losses at Monte Carlo and the French Open when he had those matches in hand.

The djokovic victory, for me, was just a small taste of what's Safin capable, if he had waited a little more and concentrated on practice, maybe he could have regained strenght after surgery and gain more confidence on movement and forehand, which for me, was the shot that he struggled more after it...

No worries. I liked Safin too. He was very interesting to watch. But the reality is 2007, 2008, and 2009 were horrible years with the exception that somehow he put it together a good run at the 2008 Wimbledon. Other than that it was a poor performance for the most part. That is why he is not playing anymore. 2009 was exceptionally painful to watch especially his losses at Monte Carlo and the French Open when he had those matches in hand.

Click to expand...

The Monte match was against Lapentti right? I can still remember that match if so, he had a match point and ended up loosing in the end. Yes, too sad indeed...

Safin is as talented as Federer in my mind, but his head betrayed him often, I believe that if Safin had Nadal's mentall strenght, he would have been unbeatable

Click to expand...

And if your grandmother had balls, she would be your grandfather.

Safin was a mental midget. It is amazing he got as far as he did IMHO.
If he had his head on straight, he would have won a lot more majors.
But, to paraphrase what he once said, "thinking isn't my game."

Safin was a mental midget. It is amazing he got as far as he did IMHO.
If he had his head on straight, he would have won a lot more majors.
But, to paraphrase what he once said, "thinking isn't my game."

Click to expand...

LOL, "thinking isn't my game" he and Gonzalez, for me were the players who stepped on the court and didn't care of what happened, no pressure or strategy, they just played strong and showed more emotions than anybody else on the sport, both of them now, a great loss to the sport, great players to watch!

The djokovic victory, for me, was just a small taste of what's Safin capable, if he had waited a little more and concentrated on practice, maybe he could have regained strenght after surgery and gain more confidence on movement and forehand, which for me, was the shot that he struggled more after it...

Click to expand...

That was Safin's last hurrah - and ironically, on the surface and the tournament he didn;t really like much: Wimbledon.

That match against Djokovic I remember for one shot, when Djoker hit an inside-out forehard to the ad-court and Safin just stepped into it and flushed the biggest backhand-drive down the line you ever saw....sounded heavy...Djoker didnt even move to get that.

The djokovic victory, for me, was just a small taste of what's Safin capable, if he had waited a little more and concentrated on practice, maybe he could have regained strenght after surgery and gain more confidence on movement and forehand, which for me, was the shot that he struggled more after it...

Click to expand...

Nobody knows the answer to my question about the real specs of Marat's Prestige, but doesn't matter.

What surgery??? I knew he had problems with his wrist, but nothing about surgery.